Outdoor heat exchanger and air conditioner comprising the same

Abstract

An outdoor heat exchanger includes a passage of a refrigerant that has a length varied depending on an operational mode. The outdoor heat exchanger is included in an air conditioner and configured to operate as a condenser in a cooling operation of the air conditioner and as an evaporator in a heating operation of the air conditioner. The outdoor heat exchanger includes a plurality of plates, a plurality of first refrigerant tubes, a plurality of second refrigerant tubes, and a plurality of third refrigerant tubes. In the cooling operation, a condensed refrigerant flows in the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the plurality of second refrigerant tubes, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes. In the heating operation, an evaporated refrigerant flows in the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, but does not flow in the plurality of second refrigerant tubes.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An outdoor heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of plates; 
 a plurality of first refrigerant tubes penetrating the plurality of plates and aligned in a single row; 
 a plurality of second refrigerant tubes penetrating the plurality of plates and aligned in a single row while being spaced apart from the plurality of first refrigerant tubes; 
 a plurality of third refrigerant tubes penetrating the plurality of plates and aligned in a single row while being spaced apart from the plurality of first refrigerant tubes; 
 a plurality of first return bands directly connecting the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the plurality of second refrigerant tubes, but not directly connecting the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes; 
 a plurality of second return bands directly connecting the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, but not directly connecting the plurality of second refrigerant tubes and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes; 
 a distribution module connected to the plurality of third refrigerant tubes; 
 a condensation header pipe connected to the plurality of second refrigerant tubes; and 
 an evaporation header pipe connected to the plurality of first return bands, 
 wherein the distribution module is configured such that, when the distribution module supplies a refrigerant to the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, the refrigerant is condensed when it flows in the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the plurality of second refrigerant tubes, the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, and the first and second return bands, and condensed refrigerant flows into the condensation header pipe, 
 wherein the evaporation header pipe is configured such that, when the evaporation header pipe supplies a refrigerant to the plurality of first return bands, the refrigerant is evaporated when it flows in the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, and the first and second return bands, and evaporated refrigerant that flows into the distribution module does not flow in the plurality of second refrigerant tubes, 
 and wherein the plurality of second refrigerant tubes is provided at a front of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes is provided at a rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, 
 the rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes being at a side at which the distribution module is provided and the front of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes being at a side opposite to the rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes. 
 
     
     
       2. The outdoor heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein, when a refrigerant is condensed in at least one of the pluralities of first, second, or third refrigerant tubes, the outdoor heat exchanger is in a cooling mode; and wherein, when a refrigerant is evaporated in at least one of the pluralities of first or third refrigerant tubes, the outdoor heat exchanger is in a heating mode. 
     
     
       3. The outdoor heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the pluralities of first, second, and third refrigerant tubes all penetrate a first plate of the plurality of plates. 
     
     
       4. The outdoor heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first refrigerant tubes penetrate a first plate of the plurality of plates, the plurality of second refrigerant tubes penetrate a second plate of the plurality of plates, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes penetrate a third plate of the plurality of plates. 
     
     
       5. The outdoor heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein each of the tubes in the pluralities of first, second, and third refrigerant tubes is formed in a U-shaped pipe, and a straight portion of each of the tubes penetrates the plurality of plates. 
     
     
       6. The outdoor heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the distribution module is directly connected to the plurality of third refrigerant tubes but is not directly connected to the plurality of first refrigerant tubes or the plurality of second refrigerant tubes, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes are provided between the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the distribution module. 
     
     
       7. An air conditioner configured to perform each of a cooling operation and a heating operation, comprising:
 a compressor to compress a refrigerant; 
 an indoor heat exchanger provided in an indoor space to exchange heat between indoor air and a refrigerant; 
 an outdoor heat exchanger provided in an outdoor space to exchange heat between outdoor air and a refrigerant; 
 a switching valve configured such that, in a cooling operation, guides the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the outdoor heat exchanger by connecting the compressor to the outdoor heat exchanger and that, in a heating operation, guides the refrigerant compressed by the compressor to the indoor heat exchanger by connecting the compressor to the indoor heat exchanger, and 
 an outdoor expansion valve configured to expand a refrigerant condensed by the indoor heat exchanger in the heating operation, wherein the outdoor heat exchanger comprises:
 a plurality of plates; 
 a plurality of first refrigerant tubes penetrating the plurality of plates and aligned in a single row; 
 a plurality of second refrigerant tubes penetrating the plurality of plates and aligned in a single row while being spaced apart from the plurality of first refrigerant tubes; 
 a plurality of third refrigerant tubes penetrating the plurality of plates and aligned in a single row while being spaced apart from the plurality of first refrigerant tubes; 
 a plurality of first return bands directly connecting the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the plurality of second refrigerant tubes; 
 a plurality of second return bands separate from the first return bands and directly connecting the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes; 
 a distribution module connected to the plurality of third refrigerant tubes; 
 a condensation header pipe connected to the plurality of second refrigerant tubes; and 
 an evaporation header pipe connected to the plurality of first return bands, 
 wherein the distribution module is configured such that, in the cooling operation, the distribution module supplies a refrigerant to the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, and the refrigerant is condensed when it passes through the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, the plurality of second return bands, the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the plurality of first return bands, and the plurality of second refrigerant tubes, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, and the condensed refrigerant flows into the condensation header pipe, 
 wherein the evaporation header pipe is configured such that, in the heating operation, the evaporation header pipe supplies a refrigerant to the plurality of first return bands, and the refrigerant is evaporated when it passes through the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the plurality of second return bands, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes, and the evaporated refrigerant flows into the distribution module without flowing in the plurality of second refrigerant tubes, 
 
 and wherein the plurality of second refrigerant tubes is provided at a front of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes is provided at a rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes being a side at which the distribution module is provided and the front of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes being a side opposite to the rear. 
 
     
     
       8. The air conditioner according to  claim 7 , further comprising a check valve provided between the condensation header pipe and the indoor heat exchanger, and that prevents a refrigerant from flowing from the indoor heat exchanger to the condensation header pipe without first flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
       9. The air conditioner according to  claim 7 , wherein the outdoor expansion valve is configured to be closed in the cooling operation. 
     
     
       10. The air conditioner of  claim 7 , further including:
 a vapor-liquid separator that separates vapor refrigerant from liquid refrigerant; 
 an indoor expansion valve; 
 an outdoor pipe that connects the outdoor heat exchanger to the switching valve; and 
 a liquid line that connects the indoor expansion valve to the outdoor expansion valve, wherein, the switching valve is connected to the compressor, the vapor-liquid separator, the indoor heat exchanger, and the outdoor heat exchanger, and wherein the outdoor pipe is connected to the distribution module and the liquid line is connected to the evaporation header pipe and the condensation header pipe. 
 
     
     
       11. A heat exchange assembly, including:
 a plurality of first refrigerant tubes provided between and spaced apart from a plurality of second refrigerant tubes and a plurality of third refrigerant tubes; 
 a plurality of first return bands directly connecting the plurality of first and second refrigerant tubes; 
 a plurality of second return bands directly connecting the plurality of first and third refrigerant tubes; 
 a plurality of plates penetrated by the pluralities of the first, second, and third refrigerant tubes; 
 a distribution module connected to the plurality of third refrigerant tubes; 
 a condensation header pipe connected to the plurality of second refrigerant tubes; and 
 an evaporation header pipe connected to the plurality of first return bands, 
 wherein a first refrigerant flow path is formed from the distribution module to the condensation header pipe through the first, second, and third pluralities of refrigerant tubes, wherein a second refrigerant flow path is formed from the evaporation header pipe to the distribution module through the first and third refrigerant tubes, but not through the second refrigerating tube, 
 and wherein the plurality of second refrigerant tubes is provided at a front of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, and the plurality of third refrigerant tubes is provided at a rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes, the rear of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes being a side at which the distribution module is provided and the front of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes being a side opposite to the rear. 
 
     
     
       12. The heat exchange assembly of  claim 11 , wherein there is no pipe connecting the second plurality of refrigerant tubes directly to the third plurality of refrigerant tubes, and wherein the first and second return bands are not directly joined. 
     
     
       13. The heat exchange assembly of  claim 11 , further including:
 a check valve that allows refrigerant to flow from the condensation heater pipe through the check valve, but prevents refrigerant from flowing through the check valve to the condensation heater pipe; and 
 an expansion valve connected to the evaporation header pipe. 
 
     
     
       14. The heat exchange assembly of  claim 13 , wherein refrigerant introduced into the evaporation header pipe has been expanded by the expansion valve, and wherein refrigerant flowing through the check valve has been heat-exchanged with outdoor air by flowing through the pluralities of first, second, and third refrigerant tubes.